


here with you, hear with you

by johnjaes



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, brief mentions of markhyuck, i love johnjae pls support johnjae, i wrote this in one go and its 4am idk anymore, implied sexual intentions lmao, johnny centric, lapslock, lots and lots of cussing because thats my style, mean kun is the best, people cant hear until they find their soulmates, this fic is a mess but ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 01:56:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8037685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnjaes/pseuds/johnjaes
Summary: not being able to hear a single thing is a fucking pain in the ass. but to youngho, it’s all worth it. it really, really is.





	here with you, hear with you

 

 

 

sign language is the universal language that everyone learns at birth. it’s what keeps the world going, keeps society in tact.  
  
youngho hates it, loathes it.  
  
first of all, he’s always sucked at signing. even with signing being a part of his daily life, he still fucks it up all the time. from what he’s been told from his friends, his constant messing up in signing is equivalent to stuttering or getting tongue tied in speaking. his friends met their soulmates at young ages, lucky assholes.  
  
there are days when he wishes that this goddamn system never existed. there are so many sounds in this world that he wants to hear with his own ears. the way rain sounds when it patters on windows, the way waves sound when they wash up the shore, the way a piano sounds when its keys are pressed, the way birds sound when they chirp.  
  
all such trivial things that youngho has always yearned for. he’s constantly wondering how his soulmate feels about all this. youngho is on the displeased side of the line, which could as well apply to his soulmate, or maybe it’s different for his soulmate. he’s not sure. he just wants to meet them as soon as possible, because the thought of being able to hear is so _exciting_.  
  
his best friend, hansol had met his soulmate when they were just children. they hadn’t even learned the etiquette of humming in a stranger’s presence yet (it was what they’d all been taught when they were children. when you meet someone, you should always hum first, it’s a way to assure you don’t miss your soulmate), they were just two waddling children messing around on the monkey bars and yuta, hansol’s soulmate, had slipped and fell.  
  
the way hansol described four year old yuta’s cries that filled his ears was endearing. youngho was definitely _not_ envious in any way.  
  
he just wishes that his soulmate could appear soon.  
  


 

the world isn’t as cruel as it seems, even with the goddamned system. most people meet their soulmates at fairly young ages, which is something youngho has gathered info on. according to global statistics, a majority of the human population meet their soulmates before they turn eighteen. less than thirty percent of people in the world meet their soulmates during their mid ages. then there are those unfortunate few who meet their soulmates at an old age.  
  
youngho is a disheartened and desperate twenty-five year old photographer that wants nothing more than his misery to end, or the misery might as well end him.  
  
autumn sweeps in with blows of cool air and the occasional colourful leaves in his face as he strolls down the pavement he walks everyday. it’s a beautiful season, bright colors and clear skies. if he could hear the first sound of a crisp laughter in this weather, he’d die with no regrets.  
  
_it’s going to be huge. one of the biggest concerts that i’ve ever been asked to perform at. it’s called the world music festival. you gotta come.  
  
_ the world music festival. youngho is reminded when he eyes the large, vibrant flyer stuck to the glass of his favourite cafe. he idly remembers taeil signing about this event vigorously a few days ago, he’s never seen his friend this hyped over something. but it’s understandable, it could as well be one of the most glorious moment in taeil’s life, listed under the day taeil heard ten’s cheerful (and probably loud as fuck) laughter and how, quoting taeil, the world spun around them and he was nauseous with the urge to sing love songs to ten for his eternity.  
  
_i don’t know if i want to go to something that’s not exactly fun for me. but sure, if you want me to._ youngho had signed in response and was immediately met with taeil’s guilty expression, lips wobbly and eyes droopy like a kicked puppy and ok, he felt bad for telling taeil that.  
  
_i’m sorry for being insensitive. you don’t have to come if you don’t want to.  
  
_ youngho waved off taeil’s apology and gave the singer a light pat on the head in a casual gesture, showing how he didn’t mind. it was sometimes easy to forget that not everyone around them could hear, not everyone was lucky enough to have found their soulmate already. besides, taeil is far too sweet for youngho to get mad at him. (there’s also the fact that ten would probably annoy him to death if he’d ever dare to hold anything against taeil.)  
  
soft, angelic taeil. youngho sighs at the thought of him. he remembers the first time they met. it was three years back when taeil’s career had just kick started and youngho was an assistant for a well received photographer that often worked within the entertainment industry. the photoshoot was for taeil’s first ever album cover, after taeil’s previous digital single “because of you” swept the charts in a flur. youngho wasn’t that excited to work with a singer, it was ironic and he was reminded that he couldn’t fucking _hear_ anything, much less taeil’s songs. but when his eyes laid on taeil, his heart was literally stuck at his throat. for the first time in his life, youngho wished that when he hummed, it would be his own voice that lit up taeil’s world.  
  
of course, reality never met expectations. much less a stupid one. taeil, a singer of all things would _never_ be his soulmate. youngho should have known that much.  
  
it didn’t stop him from stomaching all of yuta’s homemade noodles and sulking later that night, which resulted in kun’s awkward attempt at comforting him and hansol’s complain of “i cannot believe you ate all the food!”  
  
taeil would be happy if he goes to the concert. youngho already decided to go, so he doesn’t bother staring at the flyer for any longer.  
  
the moment he pushes the door open, the strong scent of caffeine and freshly baked goods overflow his sense of smell and it’s _absolutely_ _wonderful_. he doesn’t forget to stare at the small bell that’s attached to the top of the door as it swings back and forth, indicating his presence. he’d once asked hansol to describe the sound, but yuta had been the one who answered him.  
  
_you’ll know when you take your soulmate there for the first time.  
  
_ sure, it left youngho hanging. he still doesn’t know how the bell sounds like after what seems to be five years now. youngho has never minded it though. he agrees with yuta even. he’s a little bit of a hopeless romantic (though he’s constantly denying it), and the thought of hearing that soft chime with his soulmate sounds amazing.  
  
a sigh involuntarily leaves his lips and he tries not to think about it. he’s being awfully melancholic these days. he blames the fact that the youngest of his friends, mark, had just recently found his soulmate during a situation that only happened in cheesy ass dramas. at the time, when mark told them how he heard a loud cuss and he was pulled into donghyuck’s arms before a motorbike could run into him on a rainy day, youngho had laughed and poked fun at mark.  
  
now the after effects are hitting him like _a_ _goddamn train_ because he doesn’t even mind if they meet in the most fucking cheesiest way possible, he just wants to meet his soulmate.  
  
_espresso.  
  
_ the barista, which happens to be kun (no surprise there, it’s how they even managed to become friends), eyes youngho and signs back. _not your usual?  
  
__not in the mood for it.  
  
__yeah, i can see that. one espresso coming right up, as bitter as you are.  
  
__fuck you, qian kun.  
  
_ with that adding up to youngho’s foul mood, he sits off to a corner to observe the bustling of life around him as he always does.  
  
the time is twelve in the afternoon and the streets are fairly quiet as they should be on a weekday during working hours. there isn’t much activity, other than the few children who’re playing in the park just opposite the cafe. youngho watches as they run after one another, small hands full of crunched leaves as they try to throw them at each other. it’s incredibly endearing and by the way their smiles are stretched wide and eyes scrunched, youngho can tell that they’re laughing to their hearts’ content. it fills youngho with warmth and he briefly wonders if any of them have found their soulmate. perhaps two of the children in the group are soulmates, he’d never know. before he’s interrupted by the tap on his shoulder, he silently wishes that each of the children will find their soulmates and be able to enjoy the sound of laughter that he’s sure sounds wonderful.  
  
_your coffee, sir.  
  
_ youngho stares at a single hand that’s signing to him, while the person’s other hand is holding his coffee. it’s the prettiest pair of hands he’s ever seen in his entire life.  
  
_thank you.  
  
_ he signs and takes his coffee from the waiter, their fingers brushing briefly and as stupid as it sounds, youngho feels as though his fingertips are tingling from the slight touch. he immediately lifts his head to meet the eyes of the waiter and _fuck_ , he has to draw back a breath as he stares at the man standing before him.  
  
in a heartbeat, youngho is convinced that no other being in the entire universe could possibly compare to this waiter- whose name is jaehyun, youngho reads.  
  
jaehyun is beautiful. not the “i’d bang him if i get the chance” kind of beautiful, that would be degrading. jaehyun’s beauty is breathtaking, soft black hair and a pale complexion that contrast sharply, lips that hold a hint of pink, thick lashes that flutter.  
  
youngho feels really, really weak and he’s so speechless that he forgets to hum and he dumbly watches as the beautiful waiter walks away, immediately occupied with serving other customers. he nearly inflates (yes, inflate) in his seat but the heat that’s coming from his steaming espresso reminds him that if he does, his heart isn’t going to be the only thing in pain.  
  
  
**12:07 am  
****from: his majesty  
****where are you??? everyone else is here already  
  
  
** his samsung gear buzzes against his wrist and he’s quick to catch the message. youngho really wants to dismiss it and go up to the beautiful waiter and declare his undying love so they can find out that they’re soulmates and spend the rest of their lives together.  
  
he realizes how unlikely that is and puts his coffee down before tapping a quick response.  
  
  
**12:09 pm  
****to: his majesty  
****i’m coming i’m coming. i’ll be there in fifteen minutes  
  
****12:09 pm  
****from: his majesty  
****you better be ugh  
  
  
** with a heave, youngho grabs his coffee and gets up from his seat. his legs bring him to the entrance of the cafe and he stops for a moment, staring longingly at the beautiful waiter’s- jaehyun’s backside.  
  
youngho comes here every day, sometimes thrice a day. it’s not like he won’t see him again, right?  
  
  
  
  
  
after an entire week of visiting the cafe thrice a day, youngho finally realizes how wrong he is.  
  
  
**2:36 am  
****to: kun  
****i need your help  
**    
**2:40 am  
****from: kun  
****you fucking asshole, it couldn’t wait till morning?  
  
****2:41 am** **  
** **to: kun  
****no  
****now listen up  
****last week i came to the cafe and i saw the most beautiful human being in the world and he handed me my coffee  
  
****2:43 am  
****from: kun  
****and that’s my concern because?  
  
****2:43 am  
****to: kun  
****because he was a waiter and i forgot to hum and he didn’t hum and i’m so fucking scared right now !!!!!!!!  
****what if he’s my soulmate!?  
  
****2:45 am  
****from: kun  
****calm down, jesus christ  
****what's his name? or do you not know that either, genius  
  
****2:45 am  
****to: kun  
****fuck you  
****it was jaehyun  
  
****2:46 am  
****from: kun  
****oh him  
****ok i don’t blame you for freaking the fuck out  
****he is really pretty  
  
****2:48 am  
****to: kun  
****will you just tell me how i can find him, you shit  
  
****2:48 am  
****from: kun  
****not a very nice way to ask for help when you need it so much  
****but anyways  
****he’s the boss’ cousin’s friend, he was only here to help  
****he attends hongik and he barely ever comes by tbh  
  
  
** youngho stares at the words long and hard. he hopes that if he stares at them harsh enough, they’ll shape shift into the words he wants to see. they don’t.  
  
  
**2:51 am  
****to: kun  
****so you mean to say i might never see him again???  
  
****2:52 am  
****from: kun  
****yeah pretty much  
  
****2:52 am  
****to: kun  
****why the fuck does god hate me  
  
****2:52 am  
****from: kun  
****can i go back to bed now  
  
****2:53 am  
****to: kun  
****jskflsfjdslkjsdljdsafsd  
  
  
** after youngho’s profuse keyboard smashing, he doesn’t receive a reply and he assumes that kun has returned to sleep. it frustrates him to no end and he’s left thinking how unfair this all is, that the angel named jaehyun might just be his soulmate, but he’d never know, because he was too enchanted to make a single sound and jaehyun was too busy to bother with him.  
  
he tosses and turns the rest of the night, feeling restless. and when he does fall asleep, he dreams of lashes fluttering against pale skin and chapped lips he’d die to kiss.  
  
  
  
  
  
this system has fucked him for good, youngho decides when he’s staring down at the endless wave of bodies that are moving around the street.  
  
he lives in a studio flat that overlooks a bustling street and every weekend, he’s used to the sight of people making their way to clubs and bars and hipster restaurants that pack his neighbourhood. most nights, he likes to sit on his balcony and watch the flow, study the change. some nights, he huddles up in a blanket and stuffs himself with whiskey as he moodily stares at people's lips moving and bitterly thinking of how he might never hear the syllables they form and the way a certain word sounds when they trip on it.  
  
tonight is one of the some nights.  
  
_you can’t be like this forever._ hansol had aggressively signed at him this afternoon after he had ran off during their discussion of the promotional pictorial of hansol’s upcoming book.   
  
in his defense, it wasn’t his fault. he caught a glimpse of what looked like the side profile of jaehyun’s face and he really couldn’t stop himself. he was sure that it was jaehyun. however, by the time he’d made his way onto the streets, jaehyun was already lost in the crowd.  
  
_i need to find him, i know it’s him._  
  
youngho had looked desperate when he was frantically signing. hansol looked ready to put up a debate but seemed to have decided against it, knowing youngho. they hadn’t been friends since preschool for nothing.  
  
_well, i hope you find him soon. you’re a mess._  
  
and youngho wants to retaliate to that, if he could actually find it in him to. the cruel fact is that hansol is _right_ , and youngho hates that hansol is right. nowadays, even kun spares him pitying glances and it’s truly a horrible feeling. he can’t help that he’s so hung up on someone he barely knows.  
  
  
  
  
  
two more weeks and youngho is no longer a mess, he’s a fucking wreck.  
  
he still functions like he used to. work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep. he just looks like a wreck and he’s always emotionally distressed or completely drained. he barely responds to his friends’ antics and he stops wondering what taeil’s songs are like or how loud ten’s laughter is or how disgusting hansol and yuta’s crooning for each other sound.  
  
basically, he’s become a walking disaster and no one can pull him out of this streak.  
  
_you’re still coming to the concert, right?_  
  
taeil is looking at him expectantly as he sits in front of his laptop, hands moving robotically to edit the lighting of the picture of taeil laying on a flower bed that looks lively and beautiful, they remind him of jaehyun.  
  
_do i have to?_  
  
out of all his friends, youngho knows that taeil sympathizes him the most. he knows because taeil had looked so beat up after youngho explained to them about the entire situation. (well not exactly situation, there was no situation to begin with.) he sincerely hopes that if he looks pitiful enough, taeil will give up on trying to make him attend the concert.  
  
_youngho, i know you’re upset, but you can’t lock yourself away forever. what are your chances of seeing him again if all you do is watch reruns of secret garden all day?_  
  
taeil is signing so fast, youngho can barely catch what he’s trying to express. but he does, and it’s like a slap to the face. because taeil isn’t just right, he’s _on point_. it makes youngho feel bad about how he’s been acting ever since he saw jaehyun, he never thought of how concerned his friends are about him.  
  
it takes all of youngho’s begrudging dignity to nod before he averts his attention back to the work in hand.  
  
taeil cheers and youngho mentally notes himself to thank taeil later.  
  
  
  
  
  
three hours before the concert starts, ten is already at his door with the largest flashing sign youngho has ever seen in his _entire life_. the blinding three words that is taeil’s name nearly knocks into his face when ten maneuvers the sign board to get into his apartment.  
  
_it looks amazing! doesn’t it?  
  
_ ten’s expression is so expectant that youngho doesn’t have the heart to inform him that the sign is so big, the other people attending the concert might get annoyed with them. _  
  
yeah, it’s great._ he smiles with some effort and shuffles over to his office table where he always places his camera. gently, he slings the strap around his neck and gives ten a nod, indicating that he’s ready to go.  
  
the concert venue is huge and it’s out on an open field, allowing the audience a breath of fresh air and all the foot space to jump and dance as they wish. youngho is just glad the staff decided not to fight ten because of the large ass flashing sign, that would have been ugly.  
  
the two hour wait passes by in a blink (one hour gone because it took a lot of time to get that signboard into the car and even more time to get it into the venue), youngho has never been more bored in his life. as soon as the concert starts with the host vigorously shouting out words he cannot hear for obvious reasons, the crowd is wild and youngho slips away from ten.  
  
not being able to enjoy the music has youngho in a tight spot. he resolves to taking pictures of the bands and artists that perform. but even that gets boring after a while, so he weaves through the crowds and takes pictures of strangers in the audience, capturing their looks of excitement, mouths wide as they sing along, eyes reflecting the bright lights from the stage.  
  
the sun is setting by the time taeil gets up on stage, preparing for his performance. the sky's still blue, but it’s tinged with hues of orange and pink and purple. youngho’s glad that he doesn’t need his hearing to enjoy the view.  
  
he stares around the crowd, wondering how they’d react to taeil’s presence. he’s pleased to see how most of the young audience is absolutely ecstatic even though taeil hasn’t started singing yet. however, it’s a particularly loud laughter from a few meters away that catches his attention.  
  
the sound is crisp, laden with pure happiness and it’s the most beautiful sound in the world (youngho has just started hearing a second ago but he doesn’t care, it’s the most beautiful sound ever). the thing is, he can actually _hear_ it, and suddenly, there are sounds flooding into his ears. his head is pounding from the stream of noises but the sight of his soulmate renders him weak.  
  
there, standing with a group of friends is jaehyun, all soft black hair and doe eyes and sweet dimples. he’s so breathtaking and _ethereal_ , it looks as though he’s glowing and youngho wants to cry because he’s never felt more _alive_.  
  
he feels hesitant but he does it anyways. he strides over to jaehyun and stands in front of the boy, his entire frame looking shaky and ready to break. instead of humming like any other functional human being, he heaves a breath he never thought he was holding and lets out a choked sob as he wraps his arms around jaehyun.  
  
jaehyun seems genuinely shocked at the sudden embrace but is quick to return the rush of affection, which really soothes youngho. because it’s a silent confirmation that _this is real, we’re soulmates._  
  
it takes a full minute for them to recover from the initial shock and youngho pulls back, staring at jaehyun like the day he’d met him.  
  
in the caress like breeze of autumn and the wild neon lights that flash across their faces, youngho leans in and presses his lips onto jaehyun’s, taeil's gentle lull of singing as their background music.  
  
youngho doesn’t know the name of this song, he doesn’t know how to form words because he’s never heard them before, he’s not even entirely sure if he kisses right, but none of that really matters when he feels jaehyun curl into his arms, forehead pressed to his shoulder and tears soaking his shirt.  
  
_  
  
  
_  
“fuck, youngho-” jaehyun’s fingers are curled in his hair and he’s breathless as he sits in youngho’s lap, lips bruised from kissing and biting. he looks so fucking sexy, the only sound youngho can make is an animalistic growl.  
  
their kissing proceeds with youngho’s hand on jaehyun’s bare waist and jaehyun getting pushed down to lay on the ground, arms encircled around youngho’s neck.  
  
“we are not-”  
  
youngho is quick to shut jaehyun up by gripping at his thigh, which makes jaehyun gasp. it offers youngho a great opportunity and he dives for it, sucking at jaehyun’s tongue.  
  
he doesn’t stop until he feels a harsh thump at his chest and he pulls away, staring down at jaehyun who looks absolutely breathless and dazed. his lips have become a darker shade of red and under the gentle cast of moonlight and fire torches, youngho can make out a flush across jaehyun’s cheeks.  
  
“i mean it. we’re not doing it here.” is the first thing jaehyun says after he’s regained his composure. youngho feigns a hurt look which succeeds in making jaehyun giggle, soft and enchanting, like ripples on the calm surface of water. youngho swoons like an idiot.  
  
“then where do you think we should?”  
  
youngho earns himself another thump and he fakes a wince as he settles next to jaehyun on the blanket spread underneath them. it’s too short for the both of them and his feet make contact with the dry sand, the side of his thigh pressed against jaehyun’s.  
  
he closes his eyes and listens to the squawk of the seagulls, the calming clash of the waves, the barely audible sounds of chattering from the crowded side of the beach. jaehyun’s hand slips into his hold and nothing in the world could possibly make him feel more contented than this moment.  
  
“youngho?"  
  
“yes?”  
  
“thank you, for finding me.”  
  
his eyes crack open at the words and youngho shifts to lay on his side, bringing jaehyun’s hand up to his face so he can brush his lips against the back of jaehyun’s hand in a simple display of affection.  
  
“where did that come from all of a sudden?”  
  
“i’ve just been thinking, of how my life would be without hearing, without sounds,” jaehyun’s head turns and they’re staring at each other’s eyes, the shifting tides drowning out the sounds of their breathing. it feels like the first time they kissed. “without you.”  
  
a life without jaehyun. youngho had experienced a month without jaehyun in his life, it's something he never wants to experience again. he wraps his arms tight around jaehyun’s waist and pulls jaehyun flush against his chest, his nose nuzzling at jaehyun’s soft brown locks that smell like the lavender shampoo he loves.  
  
“jaehyun.”  
  
“yeah?”  
  
“i really want to fuck you.”  
  
the words earn him an annoyed whine and a hit on the arm, but he only throws his head back in laughter. jaehyun joins him and to this day, an entire year into their relationship and being able to hear, youngho still thinks that jaehyun’s laughter is the most beautiful sound in the world.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this after reading and being very inspired by berry senpai's yusol fic and its 4:30am and i think im half dead. leave comments, kudos and if you want, talk to me on [twitter](www.twitter.com/_crxssrxad) yoyo.
> 
> ps, i might write a few spin offs for the other pairings and a few chapters of plain johnjae domestic fluff life.


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